Ballast mounting



Feb. 18, 1969 D. M. POU 3,428,737

BALLAST MOUNTING Filed Nov. 9, 1967 INVENTOR DUDLEY M. Pou

BY 7y,

ATTORNEY 3,428,737 BALLAST MOUNTING Dudley M. Pou, Memphis, Tenn., assignor to Light &

Power Utilities Corp., Olive Branch, Miss., a corpora tion of Mississippi Filed Nov. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 681,701 U.S. Cl. 174-52 Int. Cl. Hk 5/02 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ballast for fluorescent light fixtures having flat flanges on its opposite ends which are of like construction; there being a central endwise opening recess in each flange for defining two end portions. The end portions on one flange are adapted for engagement with clip-like members stamped or otherwise struck from the fixture mounting plate; there being further provided a wire-form locking member being of right angular character having a trans verse leg adapted for engaging a loop projecting upwardly from the plate and presented within the recess of the forward flange; and having a longitudinal leg engageable at its extremity with a receptacle-like protrusion integral with said plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to fluorescent light fixtures and, more particularly, to means for installing a ballast thereon. Heretofore, numerous expedients have been adopted for securing a fluorescent light ballast upon the fixture for the purpose of conducing to ease of re moval so as to allow for facile replacement. Among such expedients has been primarily the provision of bolts, screws, and the like adapted to project through suitable apertures in the ballast for engagement with nuts or like cooperative members. Such means have consistently required the utilization of tools, as well as proven costly in time consumption. Another expedient has been the provision of co-ordinating projections and receptacles therefor, stamped, pressed, or otherwise formed in the ballast and confronting portions of the fixture. Such devices necessitate relatively increased expense in manufacture and cause considerable difficulty in actual assembly and disassembly operations. By the present invention the mounting of ballasts on fluorescent light fixtures may be accomplished readily and with demounting being equally rapidly effected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a ballast mounting which is adapted for effecting installation upon, and removal from, a fluorescent light fixture with marked facility and without the utilization of tools.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a ballast mounting which allows for ease of installation of a ballast housing upon a fluorescent light fixture by relatively unskilled individuals and which renders the ballast replacement procedure most simple in performance.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a ballast mounting which may be easily integrated with ballasts for all types of fluorescent light fixtures; which is rigid and durablejin construction, being resistant to damage; which is amenable to high volume, low cost manufacturing techniques; and which meets operational and safety requirements.

cordance with and embodying the present invention; said ballast being illustrated in operative position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a fluorescent light fixture ballast, illustrating the same with the locking member removed.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the locking member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now by reference characters to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention, 1 generally designates a lighting fixture support element, illustrated as being of upwardly opening channel character, having a web 2 and upstanding flanges 3, 4. Said support element 1 is fabricated preferably from suitable metallic sheet stock and web 2 thereof is provided with a pair of spaced-apart clip-forming fingers or projections 5, 5, which are stamped or otherwise pressed from the body of web 2 and extending in parallel relation to the axis of said Web 2. Said fingers 5, 5' open toward the forward end of web 2 which, for purposes of orientation, will be considered in a direction toward the right-hand side of FIGURE 1. Said fingers 5, 5 are adapted for engaging end portions 6, 6', respectively, of a flange 7 projecting from the lower end of the rearward end wall 8 of a ballast 9; said ballast 9 defining a housing having a top wall 10, a forward end wall 11, and opposing side walls 12. Ballast 9 thus rests upon Web 2, with flange 7 being of such thickness for secure engagement with fingers 5, 5'. Projecting upwardly from the lower portion of forward end wall 11 is a flange 13 Which is of like construction as flange 7 so that ballast 9 may be presented so that either flange is receivable within fingers 5, 5. Each flange 7, 13 is centrally provided with an endwise opening recess 14, which may be of general keyhole configuration, having a relatively reduced neck, as at 15. Said recesses 14 thus substantially divide the respective flanges 7, 13 into like end portions, as shown at 6, 6', each of such end portions having an annular aperture 16 extending the full vertical extent of the related flanges 7, 13. Also formed in web 2, spacedly from the leading edge of the forward end flange, as 13 in FIGURE 2, but laterally off-set from the longitudinal axis of ballast 9, as in a direction toward alignment with aperture 16 of end portion 6 of flange 13, is a rearwardly opening, receptacle-forming protrusion 17, stamped, or otherwise forced upwardly of the upper face of web 2. Also projecting upwardly from web 2 is a longitudinally extending loop member 18 so as to present a passage therethrough transversely of web 2; said loop 18 being located for reception within recess 14 of the forward end flange, as 13.

Provided for securing ballast 9 in operative position upon web 2 is a locking member 19 which is formed from a length of wire stock and being of general angular character having a longitudinally extending leg 20 and a transversely extending leg 21. The intermediate portion of leg 21 is off-set, as at 22, being thus presented between inner and outer, axially aligned sections 23; 24; there being provided at the outer extremity of section 24 a short finger 25 axially normal to said section 24. Leg 20, in its forward end portion, remote from its jointure with leg 21, is contoured to provide a downwardly and forwardly extending portion 26 continuous at its lower end with a terminal finger 27, which latter is substantially, axially parallel to the main portion of leg 20.

With fingers 5, 5' receiving the end portions 6, 6' of the rearward flange, as 7 of ballast 9, the forward flange 13 will thus be disposed so that loop 18 will be presented within the related recess 14. The user then secures ballast 9 in position by extending leg 21 of locking member 19 through loop 18 so that finger 25 will be brought into engagement with the inner edge of aperture 16 of end portion 6 and with the off-set portion 22 being disposed within the bight of loop 18. Said off-set portion 22 extends upwardly a distance substantially equal to the vertical extent of the bight of loop 18 above the upper face of flange 13 so as to be presented in forceful abutment against the under face of loop 1-8. With leg thus projecting forwardly, the user will then deflect said leg 20, by reason of its inherent resiliency, so as to cause finger 27 to extend into protrusion 17. 'It will thus be seen that locking member 19 is so dimensioned as to be related to loop 18 and protrusion 17 so as to prevent any unauthorized longitudinal shifting of ballast 9 when in installed condition. Accordingly, loop 18 and protrusion 17 define limits for said locking member 19 and the same is of such extent that forward shifting is prevented by terminal finger 27, while rearward shifting is inhibited by off-set section 22 being received snugly within the apical portion of the bight of loop 18. Furthermore, with olf-set section 22 abutting against the upper under face of loop 18, adequate downward urging is provided sections 23, 24 so as to resist any inadvertent tendency for upward shifting of said flange 13.

In view of the foregoing it is indeed apparent that the mounting means presented herein for ballast 9 may be most economically produced and may be utilized in a simple manner without resort to extraneous tools or devices and by relatively unskilled personnel. The heretofore time consuming techniques for bringing about a replacement of ballast are obviated.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the formation, construction, and arrangement and combination of the several parts of the ballast mounting may be made and substituted for these herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lighting fixture, the combination comprising a mounting plate and a ballast, said ballast having forward and rearwardend walls, a flange projecting from the lower end of each of said forward and rearward end walls for flatwise disposition upon said mounting plate, fingerforming elements integral with said plate engaged to portions of the flange at one end of said ballast, said flange at said other end of said ballast having an endwise opening recess, a loop forming projection provided on said plate extending upwardly through said flange recess, a receptacle-like portion formed in said plate spacedly from said flange, a locking member, one end of said locking member being received within said receptacle-like portion, the opposite end portion of said locking member being received with said loop-forming projection.

2. In a lighting fixture, the combination comprising a mounting plate and a ballast, as defined in claim 1, and further characterized by said locking member being of wire form and having a transverse forward portion presented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said flange and a rearward longitudinal portion.

3. In a lighting fixture, the combination comprising a mounting plate and a ballast, as defined in claim 2, and further characterized by said receptacle-like forming portion being olf-set laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of said ballast, said locking member having a terminal finger on its longitudinal portion engaged within said receptacle-like forming portion of said plate.

4. In a lighting fixture, the combination comprising a mounting plate and a ballast, as defined in claim 2, and further characterized by said loop forming member extending upwardly of the related flange and presented so as to define a transverse passage therethrough, said transverse portion of said locking member having an off-set section engaging the under portion of said loop.

5. In a lighting fixture, the combination comprising a mounting plate and a ballast, as defined in claim 4, and further characterized by said transverse portion of said locking member having a down-turned finger, said related flange having an opening receiving said finger when said locking member is in engaged relation.

6. In a lighting fixture, the combination comprising a mounting plate and a ballast, said ballast having forward and rearward end walls, a flange projecting from the lower end of at least one of said end walls for flatwise disposition upon said mounting plate, said flange having an endwise opening recess, a loop-forming projection provided on said plate and extending upwardly through and above said flange recess, a locking member, said locking member having first and second legs, one of said legs being engaged within said loop-forming projection, and means securing the other of said locking member legs to said mounting plate.

7. In a lighting fixture, the combination comprising a mounting plate and a ballast, as defined in claim 6, and further characterized by said means in said mounting plate engaging the other of said locking members legs comprising a receptacle-like portion formed in said plate spacedly from said flange, said respective leg received within said receptacle-like portion.

8. In a lighting fixture, the combination comprising a mounting plate and a ballast, as defined in claim 7, and further characterized by means engaging said locking member in said flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,025,337 3/1962) Leoni 174-52 3,179,287 4/1965 Rickmeier 22055 X LEWIS H. MYERS, Primary Examiner.

D. A, TON'E, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

